Label printing machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for printing identical characters on a series of connected labels including a stack of type wheels each having a series of different bossed print characters on its periphery. A rotatable disk carries an ink transfer roll and a pressure roll. The ink transfer roll rolls across aligned print faces of the type wheels, and the pressure roll then forces a label of the connected series of labels into printing contact with the print faces as the disk rotates. The connected labels are fed one at a time into registry with the aligned print faces of the type wheels for printing the labels one after the other. A manually operated linkage is connected with each of the type wheels for adjusting each type wheel with respect to the other type wheels so as to change the character printed by each of the wheels at will, and the wheels are held against relative rotation during a single run of the connected labels.

United StatesPatent 1191 Davis et al.

[111 3,828,667 1451 Aug. 13,1974

[ LABEL PRINTING MACHINE [75] Inventors: Wilbur M. Davis; Robert E. Yates,

both of Rochester, Minn.

[73] Assignee: International Business Machines CorporatiomArmonk, NY.

[58] Field of Search 101/66, 68, 69, 250, 253, 101/260, 269,. 270, 256, 264, 282, 354

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 15,428 7/1856 Lowe 101/269 967,896 8/1910 Frey 101/56 1,794,795 3/1931 Ohmer 101/260 3,215,067 11/1965 Montgomery 101/269 3,334,583 8/1967 Adler 101/66 3,363,550 l/1968 Kruger 101/269 3,371,349 2/1968 Schinner et a1 101/269 3,374,733 3/1968 Goodrich .1 101/269 3,398,678 8/1968 Usko 101/38 3,405,634 [0/1968 Maul et a1 l0l/269 3,408,929 11/1968 Drillick 10l/269 3,585,931 6/1971 West et al 10l/349 3,598,043 8/1971 Schuff ..l01/40 3,709,144 l/1973 Sims l0l/Z69 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 374,028 11/1921 Germany 10'1/260 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant ExaminerWilliam Pieprz Attorney, Agent, or Firml(eith T. Bleuer [5 7 ABSTRACT A machine for printing identical characters on a series of connected labels including a stack of type wheels each having a series of different bossed print characters on its periphery. A rotatable disk carries an ink transfer roll and a pressure roll. The ink transfer roll rolls across aligned print faces of the type wheels, and

the pressure roll then forces a label of the connected series of labels into printing contact with the print faces as the disk rotates. Theconnected labels are fed one at a time into registry with the aligned print faces of the type wheels for printing the labels one after the other. A manually operated linkage is connected with each of the type wheels for adjusting each type wheel with respect to the other type wheels so as to change the character printed by each of the wheels at will, and the wheels are held against relative rotation during a single run of the connected labels.

2 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUBI 3 1 l 3.828.667

' SHEE] 1 UP 4 1 0 12 1? 1/4 I L 7890 12345 67890 i2345 Mao 2345 67890 17 r r r P A 'B'FIGJC D PAramaowm w 3.828.667

SHEU 3 0f 4 IN WIN ll PAIENIEB AUG 1 31974 sum or 4 1 LABEL PRINTING MACHINE CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS A label printing machine of a somewhat similar type is disclosed in an application by the inventors hereof filed concurrently herewith, Ser. No. 317,018.

The invention relates to label printing machines and more particularly to machines for printing labels in connected strips.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved label printing machine of this type which is of such construction that the characters printed may be selectively changed between runs of the labels.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved printing mechanism for labels in connected strips which includes mechanism for first inking the characters to beprinted while the strip of labels is out of contact with the print characters and which includes mechanism for raising the connected labels 'into contact with the print characters and then applying pressure to the labels so as to complete the printing action.

In a preferred form, the machine includes a stack of type wheels each having a series of print faces on its periphery, a rotatable disk disposed below the type wheels, and an inking roll and a pressure roll carried by the disk. As the disk rotates, first the inking roll rolls across aligned printing faces of the stack of type wheels, then a strip of labels is raised into proximity with the printing faces by a deflector carried by the disk whereupon the pressure roll rolls across the back of a label putting it in contact with the printing faces to cause the printing action. The individual type wheels may be adjusted rotatably with respect to each other between runs of labels by a manually operated knob which is mechanically connected with a type wheel by means of a rack and pinion and a-toothed intermediate wheel interengaging with the type wheel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the parts illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of certain internal parts of the printer;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the parts illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of certain internal parts of the printer; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the parts illustrated in FIG. 8.

Referring now to the drawings andin particular to FIG. I, the printer of the invention is useful in connection with a strip 10 of paper label stock illustrated in this figure. The strip 10 is divided by notches or indentations '12 on the edges of the strip l0and by perforation lines and lines of weakness 14 into individual labels A, B, C, etc. The labels will be printed by the printer of the invention with lines 16, and combinations of four of these lines correspond to each of the Arabic numerals l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0. The lines 16 constitute a machine readable bar code. The printer simulta neously prints the Arabic numerals 17 corresponding to the bar code for human readability.

Referring to FIG. 2, the printer of the invention may be seen to comprise a casing 18 having slots 20 in its sides through which the strip 10 travels. The strip 10 may be taken from any suitable supply roll (not shown) and after printing may be accumulated in any suitable receptacle or the like. The casing 18 on a slanted upper panel 18a thereof has ten slots 22 therein. A button or knob 24 is slideable within each of the slots 22 and has 10 different positions therein corresponding to the Arabic numerals 0, l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, the 9 and'O positions being located at the two opposite ends of the slot. The casing 18 is provided with another slot 26 in its panel 18 a, and a start-stop handle 28 extends through the slot 26.

Referring to FIG. 4, it will be observed that each of the knobs 24 is fixed with respect to a slide 30 that is reciprocably disposed immediately below the panel 1821 by means of rods 32 extending through slots 34. A rack 36 is fixedly connected with each of the slides 30. The connections between the racks 36 and the slides 30 are by means of links 38 and 40. Each rack 36 is provided with a series of serrations 42 on its lower edge, and a spring loaded detent lever 44 is adapted to enter each of the serrations 42 for yieldably holding the knob 24 and the connected slide 30 and rack 36 in 0, l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 positions. The rack 36 is held stabilized in its reciprocation by means of rods 46 extending through slots 48 formed in the rack.

The 10 racks 36 are positioned considerably closer together than are the slides 30; and, therefore, as will be noted from FIG. 5, the lengths of the links 38 and increase in length for the outermost ones of the knobs 24.

Ten intermediate wheels 50 are rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft 52. A pinion gear 54 is fixed on each meshes with the gear 54. As will be observed from FIG. 5, the racks 36 extend between the wheels 50* for this purpose.

Ten type wheeels 56 are rotatably disposed on a fixed shaft 58, which is parallel to and is spaced from the fixed shaft52 and a spacer 60 is centrally disposed between five of the wheels 56 on each side thereof. End plates 62 and 63 are disposed on opposite ends of the stacked wheels 56. The end plate 63 is fixed on the shaft 58, while the end plate 62 may move axially slightly on the shaft 58. Each of the wheels 56 has 10 flatprinting surfaces 64. Each of the surfaces 64 has thereon raised letter-press type characters or bosses that correspond with the lines 16 and Arabic characters 17' to be printed on the label stock 10.

Each of the type wheels 56 has 10 rounded indentations or notches 66 in its edges, and each of the intermediate wheels 50 has 10 rounded teeth 68provided on its periphery. The teeth 68 fit within the indentations 66, with each one of the intermediate wheels'50 thus having a type of gear drive with an associated one of the type wheels 56.

A bell crank 70 has an end portion 72 that is V- shaped in cross section and is adapted to enter the notches 66 of the type wheels '56 and corresponding notches in spacer 60 and plates 62 and63 for holding these parts fixed rotationally. The bell crank 70 has a spring 74 effective on it and is connected by means of a link 76 with a bell crank 78. The handle 28 that is exposed on the panel 18a of the casing 18 constitutes an end of the bell crank 78.

An end clamp-lever 80 has a rounded end 82 that is adapted to contact the plate 62 on one end of the stacked type wheels 56; and since the other plate 63 on the other end of the stack of type wheels 56 is fixed, the clamp lever 80 fixes the type wheels effectively together when the lever 80 is effective. A spring 84 is effective on the lever 80. The clamp lever 80 is actuated by the bell crank 78 and handle 28, which are connected to the lever 80 by means of links 86, 88 and 90 and bell cranks 92 and 94.

The strip of label stock is moved into printing engagement with the flat print surfaces 64 by means of a pair of pressure rolls 96. carried by a rotatable disk 98 fixed with respect to a centrally located shaft 100. The shaft 100 is suitably journaled so that it may rotate with the disk 98,..and the shaft 100 extends at .a skew angle with respect to the axes of the shafts 52'and 58 and, more particularly, in a direction perpendicular to a plane containing the axes of the shafts 52 and 58. The disk 98 is located immediately below the intermediate wheels 50 and the typewheels 56 and is'in a plane extending perpendicular to the planes of the wheels 50 and 56. As will beobserved from FIGS. 3 and 7,the rolls 96 are in the form of truncated'cones. More particularly, each of the pressure rolls 96'is rotatably disposed about on its own axis bracket 102 that is fixed to the upper surface of' the disk 98. A pair of ink transfer rolls 104, which are also in the form of truncated cones, are also carried by the disk 98. Each of the rolls 104 is rotatably mounted on the end of a bell crank lever 106 swingably mounted on a bracket 108 carried by the disk 98 (see FIG. 6). A spring 110 is effective on the bell crank 106, and the bell crank 106 carries a deflector-shield 1 12 adapted to be effective on the strip 10 of label stockas will be hereinafter described. The transfer rolls 104 are adapted to roll across the bottom of an ink r eservior'114 which is fixedand which is of any suitable type. A label strip deflector 116 is fixed to the disk 98 just preceding each of the pressure rolls 96 .in the direction disk 98 rotates.

The disk 98 is provided with gear teeth on its outer edge and is. driven. from a spur gear-1 18 that in turn is driven from an electric motor 120 through a clutch 122 which is of any suitable electrically controlled type. The bell crank 78 connected with the handle 28 actuates a switch 124, and switch 124 controls the engagement of the clutch 122 so that, when the handle 28 is,

' moved into a start position, the clutch 122 is engaged and causes the disk 98 to rotate.

The label'strip 10 is advanced throughthe printer by means of a feed pawl 126 swingably mounted on the end of an arm 128. The am 128 carries top and bottom label strip guides 128a and 128b. The arm 128 is-swingably mounted about a pivot 130, and a spring 132 is effective on the arm 128. A spring 134 yieldably holds the feed pawl 126 downwardly and the pawl 126 is so positioned that it may enter the notches-12 on one edge of the label strip 10 as is illustrated particularly in FIG. 3.

The arm 128 is swingably oscillated by means of a bell crank 136. The bell crank 136 is connected at one end by meansof a link 138 with the arm 128 and has a cam follower 140 on its other end. A feed cam 142 is fixed on the shaft 100, and the follower 140 is held in engagement with the feed cam 142 due to the action of the spring 132 acting through the arm 128,-the link 138 and the bell crank 136. A pawl 144 with a label strip support bed 146 beneath it is preferably provided for preventing reverse movement of the strip 10 by entering notches 12 on one edge of strip 10 as strip 10 moves forwardly through the machine.

In operation, each of the type wheels 56- is rotated into the position that corresponds with the desired bar codev and Arabic numeral to be printed utilizing the corresponding knob 24. When aknob 24 is moved in its slot 22, the corresponding slide and rack 36 are moved along with the knob 24. The rack 36 acting through the associated gear 54 rotates the corresponding intermediate wheel50 acorresponding amount; and, due to the interengagement of the teeth 68 on the wheel 50 in the notches 66 of the corresponding type wheel 56, the corresponding typewheel 56 is rotated a corresponding amount. Thus, if the knob 24 located on the extreme left of the panel 18a is moved from its 0 positionto its 5-position, the corresponding slide 30 and rack 36 will be moved accordingly, with'the detent 1 44 moving to the fifth serration 42' in the bottom edge previously was located on the bottom. Likewise, movement of the other knobs 24 causes the associated type wheels 56 to be rotated to positions corresponding to the Arabic numerals on the panel 18a.

The start handle 28 is now moved in its slot 26 to the .start position, and this hasthe effect of moving the V-shaped end-72 of the bell crank into engagement within theidentations 66 of the type wheels 56 as is shown in FIG. 3. This action is through the: bell crank 70 and link 76. The type wheels, as justdescibed, have been moved into-their positions in which the desired print surfaces 64 of the type wheels are at the bottom. The bell crank 78 in its movement also has the effect of rotating the endclamp so that its rounded end 82 grips the adjacent side of plate 62 to thus clamp the type wheels 56 together. v I

This movement of the bell crank 78 under action of the handle 28 also closes the switch 124 so as to engage the clutch 122 and cause the disk 98 to rotate due to the driving action of the motor 120. During rotation of the disk 98, a transfer roll 104 rolls across the bottom of the ink reservoir 114; and, at the same time, a pressure roll 96 rolls across the bottom of the label strip 10 so as to press the upper surface of the strip 10 into contact with the flat surfaces 64 that carry the printing lines and characters. This action is particularly depicted in FIG. 3, and the deflector 116 has previously swept underneath the label strip 10 so as to raise the strip 10 into printing level.

After this printing action, the cam 142 and bell crank 136 function through tye link 138 to swing the arm 128 about its pivot in the clockwise direction as the arm l28'is viewed in FIG. 3. The feed pawl 126 enters one of the indentations 12 on the edge of the label stock 10, and the pawl 126 moves thelabel stock V one step in-the forward direction through the machine.

tom of the inked reservoir 114, and the transfer roll then moves across the lower surfaces 64 of the type wheels 56. The printing surfaces on the wheels 56 are then inked for a subsequent printing action. With 'addi' tional rotation of the disk 98, the deflector 1 16 just preceding the second pressure roll 96 sweeps underneath the strip 10 and moves the strip upwardly so that the second pressure roll 96 causes a printing acting on a second label in exactly the same manner as the first label has been printed. The feed pawl 126 on swing arm 128 not only feeds the strip 10 forwardly but also assures that the individual labels A, B, C, etc., are in proper alignment with the bottommost print surfaces 64 for printing FIGS. 6 and 7 may be'referred to in particular for a clear understanding of the feed and ink phase of the disk 98 in which-an ink transfer roll 104 is moving across the lower faces 64 of the type wheels 56. The deflector and shield 112 is effective under these conditions to help in maintaining the label strip 10 depressed, and it will be apparent from FIG 6 that the pressure roll 96 located behind and at 90 with respect to the transfer roll 104 that is effective for inking at the time is out of engagement with the bottommost surface of the ink reservoir 114. From FIGS. 8 and 9, the print phase is clearly apparent; and, at this time, as is shown, one of thetransfer rolls 104 is in engagementwith the bottommost surface of the ink reservior 114 while one of the pressure rolls96 is moving across the bottom surface of the label strip 10, causing a printing action to occur from the lowermost print surfaces 64 of the type wheels 56.

Thus, it is apparent that the type wheels 56 are preliminarily moved into the desired printing position due to the action of the knobs 24, and the type wheels 56 i then remain fixed during the desired run of the label strip 10. The type wheels 56 are held fixed in their desired printingpositionsby means ofthe end portion 72 of the bell crank 70 which functions as an aligner in the indentations 66; and the end clamp 80 is also effective to hold the type wheels 56 fixed with respect to each other during a printing run. The inking and printing action takes place using the inking and pressure rolls 96 and 104, with the label strip 10 being fed in label increments through the machine and with feeding taking place alternately with printing.

Modifications may obviously be made to the structure within the purview of th invention. For example, if it is desired to print the lines 16 at right angles to the direction shown in FIG. 1, the shaft 100 is relocated at 90 to its position as illustrated using the print surfaces 64 contacted by rolls 96 and 104 as a center, with disk 98 remaining in the same plane. The result of this modification is to cause rollers 96 and 104 to move along the length of the print surfaces 64 rather than across them.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for printing a continuous strip of labels with identical and selectively changeable characters including a stack of typewheels rotatably disposed on a LII certain common axis, each of said typewheels having a plurality of flat'peripheral surfaces with different print characters on the surfaces, said surfaces of said typewheels and their print characters being adapted to be put into alignment so as to provide a common print face,

selectively operable means for adjustably rotating said typewheels with respect to each other so that selected type characters on said typewheels may be put into said print face, I

a rotary member disposed opposite aligned print characters of said typewheels forming said print face,

mean for rotatably disposing said rotary member on an axis extending at right angles to the plane of said print face motor meansfor drivingly rotating said rotary member about its said axis,

a pressure roll in the form of a truncated cone and carried by said rotaty member in such disposition with respect to saidmember and said print fact that the roll sweeps across said print face as said member rotates,

means driven in timed relationship with respect to said rotary member for moving said strip of labels across said member step by step so that a label of the strip is moved into printing engagement with said print face by said roll each time the roll sweeps across said print face,

a deflector for said strip of labels carried by said rotary member preceding said pressure roll as said member rotates for moving the label strip toward said print face and across and over said pressure roll so that the pressure roll may be effective to cause a printing action by said print face,

an ink transfer roll in the form of a truncated cone and carried by said rotary member in spaced relation to said pressure roll and positioned to sweep across and contact said print face preceding said pressure roll as said member rotates for inking the print face,

an ink reservoir so positioned that said ink transfer roll sweeps across and in contact with the reservoir as said rotaty member rotates, and

a second label strip deflector carried by said rotaty member and preceding said ink transfer roll as said member rotates and so positioned as to move said label strip in a direction away from said print face so that said label strip is out of contact with said ink transfer roll and with said print face as said ink transfer roll moves across said print face for inking the print face.

2. A machine for printing a continuous strip of labels as set forth in claim 1 and including a movable arm carried by said rotary member and carrying said ink transfer roll,

said typewheels each constituting a piece of sheet material, and said selectively operable means for adjustably rotating said typewheels including sheet material toothed disks each having a toothed interengagement with one of said typewheels, and means for rotatably disposing said last named disks on an axis which is parallel with said axis of said typewheels,

said rotary member being in the form of a disk and said motor means including teeth formed on the ink transfer roll into contact with said reservoir as the ink transfer roll passes across the reservoir and for yielding to hold the ink transfer roll in contact with said common print face as the ink transfer roll passes across the print face. 

1. A machine for printing a continuous strip of labels with identical and selectively changeable characters including a stack of typewheels rotatably disposed on a certain common axis, each of said typewheels having a plurality of flat peripheral surfaces with different print characters on the surfaces, said surfaces of said typewheels and their print characters being adapted to be put into alignment so as to provide a common print face, selectively operable means for adjustably rotating said typewheels with respect to each other so that selected type characters on said typewheels may be put into said print face, a rotary member disposed opposite aligned print characters of said typewheels forming said print face, mean for rotatably disposing said rotary member on an axis extending at right angles to the plane of said print face motor means for drivingly rotating said rotary member about its said axis, a pressure roll in the form of a truncated cone and carried by said rotaty member in such disposition wiTh respect to said member and said print fact that the roll sweeps across said print face as said member rotates, means driven in timed relationship with respect to said rotary member for moving said strip of labels across said member step by step so that a label of the strip is moved into printing engagement with said print face by said roll each time the roll sweeps across said print face, a deflector for said strip of labels carried by said rotary member preceding said pressure roll as said member rotates for moving the label strip toward said print face and across and over said pressure roll so that the pressure roll may be effective to cause a printing action by said print face, an ink transfer roll in the form of a truncated cone and carried by said rotary member in spaced relation to said pressure roll and positioned to sweep across and contact said print face preceding said pressure roll as said member rotates for inking the print face, an ink reservoir so positioned that said ink transfer roll sweeps across and in contact with the reservoir as said rotaty member rotates, and a second label strip deflector carried by said rotaty member and preceding said ink transfer roll as said member rotates and so positioned as to move said label strip in a direction away from said print face so that said label strip is out of contact with said ink transfer roll and with said print face as said ink transfer roll moves across said print face for inking the print face.
 2. A machine for printing a continuous strip of labels as set forth in claim 1 and including a movable arm carried by said rotary member and carrying said ink transfer roll, said typewheels each constituting a piece of sheet material, and said selectively operable means for adjustably rotating said typewheels including sheet material toothed disks each having a toothed interengagement with one of said typewheels, and means for rotatably disposing said last named disks on an axis which is parallel with said axis of said typewheels, said rotary member being in the form of a disk and said motor means including teeth formed on the periphery of the disk, a spur gear in mesh with said teeth, and a motor driving said spur gear, said ink reservoir being positioned closer to a plane passing through said axes of rotation of said typewheels and toothed disks than is said common print face, and spring means effective on said arm for moving said ink transfer roll into contact with said reservoir as the ink transfer roll passes across the reservoir and for yielding to hold the ink transfer roll in contact with said common print face as the ink transfer roll passes across the print face. 